It is obvious: lack of sleep is negatively affecting our well-being. Besides tiredness, fatigue, head ache, concentration disturbances and irritability a sleep debt also might entail serious health consequences. Lack of sleep increases risk for diabetes type II, cardio-vascular-diseases as well as obesity, amongst others. So it seems logical to try to spend more time in bed. But be careful! Did you know that too much sleep might be unhealthy, too? In the long term, it might have negative consequences on your physical and mental well-being, too, when you frequently spend more than nine hours in bed.
Consequences of too much sleep
Diabetes: As the Canadian Laval University found out in a study, too much sleep might increase the risk of diabetes type II, just like lack of sleep.
Depressions: In 2014, a twin study proved that the risk of developing a depression increases by 49 per cent with people who constantly sleep more than nine hours. When sleeping seven to nine hours the predisposition was 27 per cent.
Memory performance: A study of the University College London revealed that not only lack of sleep but also too much sleep negatively affects memory performance. The memory performance of more than 5,000 women and men were tested over a period of five years.
Weight gain: Canadian scientists detected in a long-term study that the sleep duration significantly influences weight. Although the participants payed attention to a balanced nutrition and regular exercise, they had to deal with a weight gain of five kilos when sleeping more than nine hours compared to those with an average sleep duration (seven to eight hours).
Heart diseases
A Taiwanese full scale study indicates that coronary heart diseases and strokes are associated with sleep duration. Finally, the scientists concluded that an appropriate sleep duration (not too long and not too short) are a significant aspect of a healthy life style.
Imagesource: @fotolia
Sources:
Laval University: Too much or too little sleep increases risk of diabetes (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.php)
Twin study 2014: Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms (https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/37/2/351/2558968?searchresult=1)
University College London: Change in sleep duration and cognitive function (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21532949)
Quebec Family Study: The Association Between Sleep Duration and Weight Gain in Adults (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/)